Hooded eyes: where the liner and shadow actually go
Hooded eyes have a fold of skin that covers part of the lid when your eyes are open, so anything drawn on the mobile lid disappears.
Fix: place shadow and liner where they're visible with eyes OPEN, keep the wing thin and slightly lifted, and let the crease colour sit above the fold.
The mirror test
Eyes open, looking straight ahead, in daylight.
1With your eyes open, how much of your eyelid (between lash line and crease) can you see?
2When you draw a wing with eyes closed and open them…
The hooded-eye map
- 1
Prime, keep it matte
Product on the fold transfers; primer and matte textures stop it.
- 2
Crease colour above the fold
With eyes open, blend a mid-tone just above where the fold sits. That's your 'crease' now.
- 3
Liner tight and thin
A thick line eats the visible lid. Tightline or a hairline along the lashes.
- 4
Wing: short, lifted, eyes open
Look straight ahead, draw a short wing following the lower lash line's angle upward; don't follow the fold.
- 5
Shimmer on the centre only
A touch of shimmer on the visible centre of the lid opens the eye; keep the outer third matte.
- 6
Lashes: outer third
Curl, then load mascara on the outer third to lift.
What makes hooded eyes look heavier
Drawing eyes closed
Everything moves when you open them. Map with eyes open, refine closed.
Thick liner across the whole lid
It closes the eye. Thin lines, weight at the outer third.
Shimmer on the fold
Highlights the hood. Matte on the fold, shimmer on the visible lid centre.
Dark colour below the crease
It sinks. Keep depth at the outer corner and just above the fold.
Find out for sure
Find your eye shape, then see a look placed for it, free
The analysis reads your eye shape from your selfie, chooses one look placed for it (hooded eyes get the above-the-fold map), and paints your best lip shades on your photo. Free, no account.
Questions people ask
- Are hooded eyes the same as droopy or downturned?
- No. Hooded is about the fold covering the lid; downturned is the outer corner sitting lower than the inner. You can be both, either or neither.
- Can hooded eyes wear a wing?
- Yes, short, thin, drawn eyes-open along the lower lash line's angle. The classic long wing folds.
- Which lashes work best?
- Wispy, longer at the outer corner, with a curl. Dense full strips can weigh the lid down.
Watch: hooded-eye liner and crease placement
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Related guides
How we analyse: your selfie and quiz answers are read together and reported with a confidence level; the map and proportions are measured from face landmarks in your browser. It’s an AI estimate for choosing colours and placement, not a medical, dermatological or professional colour consultation. Sample faces on this site are AI-generated, not customers.